Instead of silencing Cunningham, he believes her willingness to speak publicly could encourage others to do the same.
During an appearance on The Ingraham Angle, Vance praised people who are willing to withstand public criticism for expressing controversial views.
“Sometimes when you’re courageous in this country, some of the worst people in the world will try to attack you,” Vance told viewers.
He followed that observation with a message aimed directly at people who fear the consequences of speaking publicly.
“You actually are inspiring a dozen people for every person that criticizes you.”
Vance’s comments come as Cunningham finds herself increasingly at the center of a cultural battle extending far beyond professional basketball.
Cunningham Refuses to Back Down
The controversy began after Cunningham discussed transgender participation in women’s sports during an ESPN interview.
Cunningham argued that young female athletes deserve privacy in locker rooms and should not be required to compete against biological males.
At the same time, she rejected accusations that her position was motivated by hostility toward transgender people.
“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, ‘I never once said that,'” Cunningham said.
Rather than retreating after the backlash, Cunningham stood by her comments when reporters questioned her before an Indiana Fever game against the Connecticut Sun.
“I think I said what I said,” she told reporters. “I think it’s kind of common sense.”
Those remarks only intensified the attention surrounding her.
Cunningham has since been booed by opposing fans and attacked by critics online, including some who have labeled her a “MAGA Barbie.”
Questions about the controversy have also followed the Fever on the road, putting the organization in the uncomfortable position of dealing with a political and cultural dispute alongside its basketball schedule.
But something else has been happening outside the arenas.
Cunningham’s supporters are showing up too.
Supporters Take Their Message to WNBA Arenas
Demonstrators supporting Cunningham have gathered outside Fever road games, turning what began as comments from one player into a broader public campaign.
Supporters appeared outside Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena carrying signs including “Thank You, Sophie” and “I Said What I Said.”
Another demonstration followed in Portland outside the Moda Center.
Inside the arena, Cunningham scored 13 points as Indiana defeated Portland 112-98.
The rallies have reportedly followed the Fever across multiple road games, with additional events planned around upcoming contests in Chicago and New York.
The organization behind the demonstrations, Women Are Real, argues that the gatherings are intended to keep attention on the question of biological sex in female athletics.
Organizer Amy Sousa has maintained that the campaign is not an attempt to distract from basketball.
Instead, supporters see Cunningham’s comments as an opportunity to force professional sports organizations to confront a question that has already transformed amateur and collegiate athletics.
That makes Vance’s comments particularly significant.
“The thing about courage is it’s contagious.”
The vice president’s argument is straightforward: one prominent athlete speaking publicly can make it easier for others to follow.
Trump Administration Has Already Entered the Fight
The controversy also intersects directly with the Trump administration’s broader policies on women’s sports.
President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14201, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” in February 2025.
The order directed the federal government to use its Title IX enforcement authority against educational institutions that permit biological males to participate in female athletic categories.
The administration has framed the policy as an effort to preserve fairness, safety and opportunities for women and girls.
The Cunningham controversy raises a different question, however.
Professional leagues operate differently from schools receiving federal funding, meaning the debate over transgender participation does not end with the administration’s Title IX policy.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has also publicly defended Cunningham amid the controversy, describing the backlash against her as “astonishing.”
The dispute therefore appears increasingly unlikely to remain confined to WNBA press conferences.
A Bigger Battle for Women’s Sports
Cunningham’s willingness to speak openly is particularly noteworthy because active professional athletes often have powerful incentives to avoid politically explosive cultural debates.
Endorsement opportunities, relationships with teammates, league officials and fan reaction can all be affected when athletes enter controversial territory.
Cunningham nevertheless appears unwilling to walk back her position.
Her public profile also includes an increasingly visible Christian faith. Cunningham was re-baptized earlier this year in what she presented as a public declaration of that faith.
Now she has become one of the most prominent professional female athletes willing to publicly challenge transgender participation in women’s athletic spaces.
That is precisely why Vance’s message matters.
Whether Cunningham’s position ultimately changes WNBA policy remains to be seen. But the controversy surrounding her demonstrates that the debate over women’s sports is far from settled.
Attempts to pressure athletes into silence may even produce the opposite result.
Cunningham spoke.
Supporters began appearing outside arenas.
The White House took notice.
And now the vice president is telling Americans watching the controversy that courage can spread faster than criticism.
For a professional sports league that would undoubtedly prefer to keep the conversation focused on the scoreboard, that may be the most difficult development of all.
